The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-11-02
QUEER OLD GRAVESTONES.
QUAINT EPITApHs IN A CoNNEC-
TICUT CEMETERY.
The Burying Place OF Some of New
Haven's Early Governors-Sam
pies of Colonial Poetry.

The Burying Place OF Some of New
Haven's Early Governors-Ssm-
pies of Colonial Poetry.
Glancing to the right through the car
window Just before the local express
rushes upon the little bridge over Mill
Creek to the east. and dashes on into the
village of New Milford, Conn. the New
York bound passenger gets d glimpse Of
one Of the quaintest old graveyards in
New England. Its brown, bat's-eared
gravestones are strewn so near the rail
road track that the laundering express
seems to grind them beneath its wheels
Some of the gravestones have sunk
almost out of sight. Others, with sides
warped and crumpled, push their weather.
stained noses up through the rank,
tangled grasses in defiance of times de-
cay. A few lie prone in shamefaced
overthrow. The stranger, particularly
if he be an antiquarian will find rare
grubbing among these rusty old stones.
Some of the gravcstones are nearly $50
years old Milford was settled in 1889,
and the settlers began to die apparently
about as soon as they got here. A good
many never received the Christian burial,
do tnC 1uulduS dllcuucu 10 lHClT
obsequies without inviting the relatives
or personal friends of the deceased.
One of the earliest inscriptions that is
entirely preserved is on a slab above the
rather pretentious tomb of Governor
Robert Treat. 1t reads:
Here Lyeth Inferred the Body of Coll.
Robert Treat, Esq, Who Faithfully Served
This Colony in the Post of Governor and
Deputy Governour Near Ye Space of Thirty
| Years, and at the Age of -Four Score and
| Eight Years, Exchanged This Life for Better.
July IL, Ammo DOM mo.
Johnathan Law, another Governor of
the colony, is also buried in this grave
yard. He was born in Milford on August
6, 1872, and died there on November 6,
1850. He was Governor from 1742 until
! 1850. His resting place, like Governor
| Treats, is marked by one of the few fiat
tombstones above ground. Several
other colonial dignitaries have simple
headstones. On others the early obituary
eulogist has left his copious trade marks
Here is sample:
1.-THE truly honorable and pious Roger
Newton esq.
IAN officer of distinguished note in We ex-
! petition 1909 and 17l0, for many years one
I of ye council and colonel of the Second regi-
ment of militia, judge of the court of common
I pleas thirty-three years. until he departed
this life, January Is, III, in the S7th year of
! his age.
"His mind returned to God ,entombed here lies
The part the hero left beneath the skies,
Newton as STEEL infexib!e from right,
In faith, in law, in equity, in fight
Another panegyrist relates that Isaac
miles, Esq, was gentleman
distinguished by manly sense,
Genuine intregrity and firmness,
| In patriotism and in virtue.
After life active in commerce
And in public employments,
A life very useful to his family
And to the public
And adds that at last this excellent
gentleman-
"Worn out by long and distressing asthma,
Borne with singular patience,
He died on the 18th of November, 1850
In the 55tL year of his age"
Mortuarys poetry abounds. Some of it
is about as orIgin.I and as startling as the
most versatile genius in this line pro-
duces. Neither young nor old have es.
capped it in the Milford graveyard. Elihu
Fowler, son of Jonathan Fowler, died on
October o. 1889, three years and fouI
months old, and his untimely fate is thus
graphically epitomized:
His life span, the mournful toll
Declares the exit of his soul!
Grim Death is come! His life is call'd
To take its fight-the means a scald
He who are young come learn your end
By deep repentance make Christ your friend y
Over the grave "where lies the body
of Mrs. Phebe Gillit, wife to Mr. Will.
lam Gillit, Junr., who died on February
10, 1856, twenty-nine years old, is one OF
the most remarkable tributes in the en-
tire graveyard. Manifestly it was writ
ten by her husband. Its orthOgraphy is
unusually eccentric even for those days
of arbitrary spelling. Here it is:
"Her Dying Words unto her husband are:
Refrain your passions Why so much Dis.
/ paire.
It's the will of Godl hope it's for the Best
For you! For mel And for my mothers
| less,
: To whome adue! To God and you
L now Commend that care
-Pattorn of Patriots to the end of life
Now Ded, she speaks to every Living wife,
Peti Such JuelS Should be laid in Dust:
Men are Unworthy and the Lord is JUST
/ Drollest and decidedly most realistic
of all the inscriptions are those on the
gravestones of Miss Mary Fowler and
/ Mrs. Sarah Bryan, consort of Captain
+ Richard Bryan. Miss Fowler was in
her cath year when she died on Feb. /, =,
1892. This is the inscription that was
composed in her honor;
" Molly, though pleasant i'm her day
Was suddenly seized and sent away;
! How soon she's ripe, how soon she's rotten,
Sent TO the grave and soon forgotten
-NeiO York Commercial Advertiser.
q
Photographs ON Watch Cases.
"What charming FACET